Page By Page

Just over two months ago I finished a draft of my novel. How does two months go by so quickly?

I promised myself I would get back into it on August 1st, and as the day approaches, I feel a tightening in my stomach.

There are plenty of practical reasons for this ulcer-inducing stress. First – I’ve been busy with freelance work lately, and am enjoying the income that comes with it. I’m a little worried about making the time for the novel again. Second I have six copies of my manuscript that have been returned to me with notes. The basic logistics of sorting through it all is daunting. And third: It’s summer time, and I desperately want to run off to the beach with the kiddos.

But the number one reason for my anxiety is this – writing is hard. I so desperately want to write a great effing story. And excellent writing takes serious work. What’s more, (and I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating), writing is like exercise. If you step away from it for a while, it’s really hard to get back into it. Of course, it’s not like I haven’t been writing. I write all day, but not fiction. I’ve (metaphorically) been doing pull-ups, when what I need is quad strength.

All whining aside, come August 1, I will pull out that stack of paper and start wading through it. One step at a time, I will tackle that beast. And the good news is, I don’t think the story is too far from done. There were two or three bigger things that most of my readers commented on, but they shouldn’t be too hard to fix. Then it’s just language. Line by line. Page by page. I will go through and make every bit of it sing.

My goal is to have a completed third draft by November 1. Then another round of feedback from readers. And then (eeep) I’ll start the query process.

Here’s hoping.